Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup: Help Scrub BC Shores

With Labour Day now history, you've had your fill of boat outings, camping trips, barbecues and tanning sessions. How about helping out some of our beautiful shores?

This year's Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup kicks off Sept. 15 at Iona Beach in Richmond, with events through the week.

Last year's shoreline cleanup picked up some disturbing garbage in British Columbia. Organizers discovered 38,412 food wrappers and containers along the province's shorelines. That's enough for one person to get take-out for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 35 years, according to a news release.

Along 1,129 kilometres of shoreline cleaned during last year's campaign in B.C., organizers also found:

3,202 six-pack beverage can rings, enough to open 800 Coke cans.

207 lightbulbs, enough to provide energy through a single bulb for about 23 years.

"No matter what it is, or where it is found, shoreline litter poses a huge threat to the livelihood of surrounding wildlife and communities," says program manager Jill Dwyer.

Not only did B.C. lead in cleaning the most shoreline out of the country, volunteers also removed 66,127 kilograms of litter -- the highest weight in the country.